When TODAY’s Karl Stefanovic speaks Mandarin, recites Pink Floyd, and praises God in one live-to-air segment, you know something is up.
But the issue grating on Stefanovic’s nerves this morning was homework - or more specifically, the burden he believes it is placing on parents such as himself.
“I don’t know how to write a four minute speech in Mandarin. Forget ‘ni hao’, I don’t know how,” Stefanovic said, referring to parents’ limited knowledge on their child’s homework.
“I do not believe in doing any homework in primary school. Do not load our kids up after school time. School is fine. But let them be kids at home,” Stefanovic said.
The TODAY co-cost argued that kids should be using their time outside school to play and bond with their family. Likewise, parents should be spared from “doing homework they clearly can’t do”.
“That’s what we send our kids to school for - to load teachers up.”
“I want to play FIFA 15 soccer with my boys on the weekends and teach my daughter the finer points of the high beam on the weekends. Quality time! Quality time with a capital K,” Stefanovic joked.
Stefanovic concluded his rant by quoting from Pink Floyd’s 1979 hit, Another brick in the wall.
“So as we start the year off I’m reminded of a line from that great Pink Floyd song ‘hey teacher leave us kids alone’. What I’m saying this morning is ‘Hey teacher, leave us parents alone’. Amen, hallelujah. Praise the lord.”
So is homework really putting such an unnecessary burden on already-busy parents? Surely part of a parent’s responsibility is helping their child with homework?
Some may say that quality time can include parents spending time with their children at home to help them be better students.
Have your say: Is homework depriving parents and children of quality time together?